Ma Mère
by Puffie
Summary: Ky had a mother once, and Christmas for him is all about family.


Author's Note: The only source of information about Ky's childhood was the (crappy) GG Xtra Manga(which is the worst manga I've read in my whole life) where he meets Commander Kliff for the first time. He wears clothing that belongs to the upper class, his hair has bangs, and is straight cut, rather than shaved - he completely looks(girly) like little Sin minus the eye patch. His age, when deduced from dates, would be around seven years old.

*Scene from the 2nd Chapter of the Manga**  
Kliff: What's a brat doing in a place like this? This isn't a playground. Lose your mother?  
Ky: No. Half a year ago, my mother died. If I run, I'll probably die. So, I want to fight.  
Kliff: Even out there?_(Kliff pointed somewhere, Ky nods. Kliff attempts to strike him with his sword, and barely misses by an inch.)_ Don't kid around. Right now, you can't use anything like weaponry or shields. You'll just be in the way._(Tears fall down Ky's cheeks.)_ But, well... The will to fight; that isn't wrong._(Kliff pats Ky's head, while he sniffles.)_So you're called Ky. I'll give you a mission: No matter what, survive for just five years. After that, come and find me again. When that happens, I'll let you fight as much as you want. Now get going! _(Ky runs away crying but with a determined face.) _

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My Mother

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Snowflakes danced behind a glass window, flying in different directions at the speed of the coach. They did not distract the pair of little eyes that stared at the vast expanse, half black, half white. Red glowing lights joined together as one, fine line to separate them. Absorbed by the view he had never seen before, the gears of his young mind turned around like the creaky wheels he was hearing in his ears. Wondering why his town was colored like fire when seen from afar was slowly forgotten as the winter air crept under the blanket wrapped around him. "Mother, I'm cold..."

"You're cold? Here, have some hot milk." Wearing brown leather gloves, the woman opened the jug with some squeaky turns and carefully brought it to her son's lips. "Careful..." They went up and down with their seat as their course continued on the ragged road, spilling some of the precious liquid down the boy's chin.

Coughing, the child pushed away his mother's hands to wipe his face, "Thank you, mother." Soon after he finished, a weak sneeze and a short sniff followed.

"Ky, here..." Gently, she wiped his face with a cotton cloth a little less pale than his skin. "Your colds are getting worse. You have to take medicine again tomorrow, understand?" " She told him in her sweet, whisper-like voice, even softer than her son's.

"It tastes bad, I don't like it." Ky pouted, remembering the thick, clear syrup he forcefully took earlier, as if it was a dessert for his dinner sandwich. "I'd rather have milk."

"Well, it'll only be few more spoons. If you don't heal soon your friends won't play with you-"

Both the gasped in surprise as a bump on the road sent both the mother and child bouncing off their seats. "Bernard! Be careful please!" Madam Kiske addressed to the driver at the front, concealed by a blue curtain.

"I'm very sorry madam..." replied a young man from where he was, voice a bit muffled. "There are too many on the road to avoid."

"I understand..." she replied back, in a low voice. "Ky... there will be many more bumps, okay?" She turned her head to her child who had just pressed his nose on the glass window.

"Mother, what's on the road-" Before the little boy even finished his question, the mother had already pulled him towards her by his arm, with her hand on his eyes.

"Don't look outside!" There was a commanding tone in words as she let go of her child and quickly closed the curtains of the window beside him. Her son watched in worry and confusion as his mother fixed her widened eyes at her own glass pane, breathing heavily, and shut it too, taking away the light they had.

There was a brief pause and silence.

"Bernand, please get us out of here faster!" She yelled at their driver again.

"Yes ma'am!" A sound of a whip sent the horses neighing.

Clutching his mother's sleeve, the little eyes found fear as he looked around, his heartbeat turned fast like sound of galloping hooves. He wasn't able see anything except the dim, bluish glow of the curtains, as dark as the night sky. "Mother, it's so dark..."

"Shush... we have a light." A little clicking was followed by a warm colored flame from a lamp attached above the front window, just above the curtain line.

"Mother..." He cannot understand why he's suddenly not allowed to look outside. Studying his mother's face, in his young age he could see that there was something wrong- the way she curved her lips downward, her forehead crumpled like paper, her eyes unfocused. He tried to figure out why she looked scared. Slowly, heat is building up in his cheeks and he felt his eyes and nose water. _Why is mother like that?_

Head bowed down, his mother replied to him. "No no no… please don't cry. I-I'm so sorry darling..."

Ky heard that she whimpered, and was about to cry. But instead she breathed in deeply and smiled at him.

"I just don't want your cold to get worse, the window glass is cold you know?" She stroked his pale, blond hair, trying up to ease his face that was on the verge of tears.

"Really?" _Why is mother different?_

"I'm sorry if I scared you dear, I'm so sorry." She took his little body in his arms and embraced him tight as she kissed his rosy cheeks, dotted with barely visible freckles that faded with the winter's cold.

"I'm not scared." He mumbled, his face buried on his mother's bosom, before sniffing twice and hugging her waist. _I'm not scared._

"Don't worry, mother's here." She continued tracing her fingers on his hair, interrupted by the wheels running over a series of obstacles again. "We're just running over some fallen trees, we'll be in a city with good roads soon."

_I wonder who brought down those trees? _Remembering that it was almost Christmas, he thought that he didn't have to ask. Yes, they were probably pine trees used by a nearby city. "Are we close to Paris yet?" He looked up, his eyes a little brighter in excitement, fairly content with his mother's explanation.

"No, we're not yet near Paris, it's still a bit far."

"Why didn't we ride an airship?"

"Well...um... the pilots are all taking a Christmas break." Smiling, she gave an answer that seemingly satisfied little Ky. After all, she wouldn't want him to know that their private airship didn't make it to its owners.

"Then why are we spending Christmas in Paris?"

"Well... it's because you haven't been there yet."

"Okay, I got it!" Breaking away from the tight hug, his light, innocent expression back, the little boy asked again, "I can open my present in Paris, right?" He turned around and reached out to the compartment at the back of their seat, climbing up a little. "Here!" In his hand was a white wrapped box, tinted orange because of the light, with blue ribbons all around it. "Can I just peek on what's inside?"

"No!" Kindly, but firmly, she told him as she took the present from his hands and returned them at the back. "You'll open it under our big Christmas tree at our mansion there, isn't it more fun that way?"

"I can't... wait any longer-" Yawning, Ky answered irritated, the hot milk he drank earlier began to take effect.

"Oh…what did just hear?" She let out a light chuckle.

"Nothing!" His eyes showed energy but his shoulders told a different story.

"Did you just 'ahhhhhhh'ed?" The woman imitated the earlier action.

The child shook his head at this. "No…"

"There there, it's time to sleep for you don't you think? Who knows? When you wake up we might be already in Paris." Smiling as she saw that the child was seemingly convinced with what she said, she laid his head on her lap and lifted his feet, with a slight resistance from him- a frown. Yet eventually, she was able to rest his body onto the velvety cushion of their seat and pulled up his blanket over her little one.

Ky wasn't that tired, a single yawn was not enough to convince him that he' drowsy enough. However, he felt himself melting with his mother's warmth; it's as if he being embraced by it. "Good night, mother." He said as his cheeks rubbed onto her woolly coat. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I promise I would never go near the cold window again…"

"Oh…it's nothing dear. It's okay." She bent down and tilted the child's trunk with her hug. After another kiss to his cheek, she rubbed her nose with his before placing his head back to its "pillow." "Good night, Ky."

After some giggles, Ky's sweet, little voice replied as he slightly curled to his side. "I love you, mother."

"I love you too, my darling."

"I love you so much more and more... and more..." With one final yawn, Ky let his sleepiness take over, closing his little eyelids slowly.

As the child's blue-green orbs were sealed into the land of darkness and dreams, one by one, dancing lights, as white as snowflakes, formed houses and strees. The golden ones lined up high, forming beams that join together into a tower. As luminous town emerged inside the child's mind, colors painted their way to make all the blackness disappear. There was so much life around, as imaginary families walked down the town painted with rainbow colors.

Falling deeper into slumber, he heard his mother hum a familiar melody, her voice a bit shaky, but tender in his ears.

_Silent night, holy night..._

Not quite silent, but all would be calm, all would be bright. When he'd wake up, he'll be in Paris. He'll warm himself by a fireplace at their mansion there, and then he'll ask Bernard to buy him a long candy cane, the ones with blue swirls.

_All is calm, all is bright..._

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Whenever Ky snugged himself under a thick sheet during harsh winters during their crusades, he would always remember a particular night with his mother. The distant feeling of being with her, full of warmth and love, was not forgotten even after years of her loss.

Reminiscing about his last moments with her, his one and only family, was not pleasant at all whereas the sound of beating wings and monstrous growls distorted the carols he had been singing inside his mind. His white and golden lights died out. Wonderland disappeared when his eyes opened to see dead bodies- men, women, children, families- scattered like autumn leaves on the ground, left to rot. White snow turned into dark colors of soot and dried blood. His mother's gentle hands became a tight grip on his arm as she pulled him with her, her gracefulness gone with her staggered running as they headed towards somewhere dark and unfathomable.

While his comrades celebrated with beer and singing, Ky preferred to stay inside their tent. Clutching his blanket and his sword as he curled up body until his knees touch his chin, the young knight recalled his good memories of childhood before closing his eyes- it had always been the best, probably the only way to fall to sleep when he could not; tired and wounded, it was all the boy wanted in this peaceful Christmas day, and hoped for sweet dreams to come, wishing that they would last long enough for him to remember.

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Additional commentaries (contains Overture Spoilers:)

One thing you can notice with Ky in GG2 Overture is that even though he loves his illegitimate son, Sin, he had been a negligent father to him, it's worse if you consider that he's a king and his woman is a world-class bounty. Besides his rigorous service to the public and obsession with setting things in order after the war, Ky has so many pieces missing in him and responsibilities left to be prepared as a parent by the time Sin was conceived. The biggest "holes" in him are his childhood and teen years which he spent fighting a very brutal war, the burden of being the leader of Holy Knights, and being probably an icon to the masses too like the word "hope" inscribed in his belt. He had a father figure, Kliff, for a short while, and a rival Sol, who makes him realize things the hard way, helping him grow as an individual; but still, it has always piqued my interest how a loss of a mother figure to Ky affected him. Unlike other characters in GG he's probably the most "open" one, without mystery, he's very easy to criticize though there is still so much to explore if we go deeper. Personally, I can see that his devotion to God plays a huge role in his strength; yet Ky is human, in my opinion, he fails as a lover and a father.

Credits and un-serious stuff:

Me: *labored breathing* I…have to tell…something, my beta… is -*explodes.*

Beta: Mwuahaha, didn't I tell you that my identity is secret?

Me: Haha, you though you got me Xouls, but that was just my shadow clone. Listen, everyone: My beta is **Xouls_Rainez**!!!!

Beta: Nooooooo!!!

Me: Thanks, you did quite well. Now I have no use of you… *pushes a remote button*

*** That scene didn't happen in real life, but Xouls is indeed, my first beta in fanfiction dot net. Thankies for his good job :)

*** GG Xtra Manga was translated by Rallamajoop, Jaseroque, and Sethyhide and the supplementary text on the dialogue was taken from Heaven's Not Enough, a Ky Kiske fansite, made by Varen.

*** My friend laynieblearghiemwuahmwuah for inspiration

*** George Winston's "Carol of the Bells" and a Naruto OST "Sadness and Sorrow"

*** Reviews make me happy :D

*** Thank you for reading my writing


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